Needle threader



A Feb. 23, 1943. .Jfs. KAHN 2,311,665

NEEDLE THREADER Filed 'Jan. 15, 1940' INVENTOR' JUL/4N5. KIHN TTORNEY Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES am nes-z.

PATENT OFFICE NEEDLE THREADER Julian S. Kahn, New York, N. Y.

Application January 13, 1940, Serial No. 313,714

3 Claims.

This invention relates to needle threaders and has for its primary object the provision of a simple, inexpensive device for threading needles of various sizes and having differently positioned eyes. i

The invention contemplates the provision of a device of the indicated character wherein a hookshaped threading member is normally maintained in projected condition for ready reception of a bight of the thread to be passed through the needle eye and obviates a fault in prior structures wherein the threading member is normally retracted and must be held projected by the user. Inasmuch as one hand of the user is occupied in holding the threading member in projected position in the prior structures, it becomes awkward to properly position the thread bight for sure en gagement-with the hooked end. Whereas this invention contemplates normal projection of the threading member so that both hands of the user are available for handling the thread.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means adapting the device for handling needles of various sizes and whereby sureness of operation is achieved.

-The invention also contemplates mounting the threading member in such a manner as tomini mize the possibility of said barb missing the needle eye when moving from a retracted to its projected position. This feature is quite desirable since needle eyes are variously placed in relation to the needle end.

Another contemplated feature resides in providing the thread-receiving slot formed in the body with constricted portions for frictionally holding said thread for sure engagement with the hooked end of the threading member.

closure plate I9 and said plate may be formed threader constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof as taken along the plane of the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view as taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View as taken along the line I4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of an adapter tube rendering the device suitable for handling needles of various sizes.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view, partly broken, of an old form of needle threader and provided with means for freeing the hands of the user for convenient placing of the thread to engage the hook thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, the threader is provided with a body III preferably formed of two parts I I and I2 held in assembled relation as by means of a tubular rivet I3 and dowels I4 on one part engaged in seats I5 in the other. The body parts are preferably made of moulded material such as Bakelite, casein, etc., and may be cemented together along their contacting faces as at It.

The body may be formed as high as the body part I I, or one of the body parts, such as I2, may be integrally formed with a base I'I, preferably formed hollow to provide a chamber I8. As illustrated, this hollow body may be provided with a with suitable holes 20 for screws or the like whereby said plate may be affixed to a support. When the body is assembled on said plate as by means of the guide-ways 2|, the device is effectively secured for ready operability.

' The invention is also characterized by the novel construction of the body thereof and the contemplated provision of a support base whereby the device maybe affixed to a table or the like for easy and ready operability, a further feature residing in forming the support base hollow to provide a chamber for storing needle, spools of threads, etc.

The invention also contemplates a novel form of operating slide for the device, a feature being simplicity and low cost.

With the foregoing and many other objects, features, and advantages in mind, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which a form of the invention as at present conceived, is illustrated, and which provides the basis of the following detailed specification.

In the drawing:

.Figs l is 'a vertical sectional view, of aneedle One or both of the body parts II and 52 may be formed with a moulded seat 22 in which is positioned a slide 23. This slide-is preferably made of metal doubled upon itself and formed with an operating push button portion 24 in an integral manner. One portion of the doubled slide may be extended to form a spring guide 25 piloted for movement in a seat 25 formed in the body in the same manner as the seat 22 is formed. The seat 22 provides an abutment as at 2! for a compression spring 23 having its other end engaged by a shoulder 29 on the slide.

In the present instance the portions 30 of the slide 23 cooperate to'hold the threading member 3i between them and one of said portions may be formed with an opening 32 for the hook 33 provided on one end of the threading member. In this manner, the threading member is mounted to move longitudinally with the slide and may have limited rocking movement between the portions 3!! of said slide.

The other end of the threading member is preferably formed with an undercut notch 34 somewhat spaced from that end which is formed with a taper 35 for easy penetration into the eye of a needle. The body ID is preferably formed with a recess 36 in which said tapered end is housed during projected position of the threading member.

The body [0 is formed with a transverse slot 31 preferabl angularly disposed to expose the notch 34 of the threading member so a length of thread may be positioned therein for engagement with said notch. The lateral ends of this slot may be constricted as at 38 to frictionally grip the thread when so positioned.

The body is formed with a vertically disposed passage 39 terminating in a seat 40 beneath the threading member. This seat is positioned in relation to the threading member so that the eye of a needle 4! may be penetrated thereby during projection of said member from a retracted position. The device may be formed with such a passage, but of smaller diameter than is illustrated and the device will function with needles approximately fitting said passage. However, in order to accommodate needles of various sizes, it is preferred to set an adapter tube 42 into the passage 39, to form said tube with a hand-gripping fiare portion 43, and to longitudinally slit said tube as at 44. In that case the passage 39 and the tube 42 would be tapered as shown, so that in its low position, (shown in the. drawing) a range of relatively small needles would be properly held in substantially upright condition by the lowermost end of the adapter tube, and when the tube is moved upwardly in the passage, said lowermost end would spread to give accommodation to a range of needles of relatively larger size.

Forthe purpose of effective guiding the tube in its movement from one position to the other, a seat 45 may be formed in the body cooperating with a teat 46 on said tube. This means also effectivel keys the tube against inadvertent rotation.

Itwill be noted that the bottom end of the tube 42 is provided with laterally spaced downreaching lugs 41 which flank the portion of the needle formed with the eye to form a guide member for said needle portion and to support the same so that the eye is held firmly for penetration of the threading member therethrough.

It is also preferred to form the lower end of the tube 42 of oval cross-section to suit the similarly shaped cross-section of a needle. Thus when a needle is dropped into the tube, it will seek a position with its eye in aligned position with the threading member. This'is best seen in Fig. 3.

In operation, a needle is dropped into the tube 39, eye down and it comes to rest supported upon the upper edge of the threading member 3|. The button 24 of the slide is pressed to retract the member. The needle will now fall onto the seat 40 and when the button 24 is released, the threading member will pass through the needle eye togive the condition shown in Fig. l. During the first portion of this action, the needle has been J'ounced by the movement of the threading member and particularly by the hook formed by the notch 34. This causes a rotational adjustment of the needle so it may find its position in the oval part of the adapter tube with its eye in suitably approximate alignment with the retracted threading member. It will be noted, that should the eye of the needle be somewhat high or low in relation to the tapered end of the threading member, said member, due to its manner of support, may swing up or down and thus readily penetrate the needle eye. This swinging movement of the threading member is facilitated b the grooves formed in a needle at the eye thereof and shown at 48 (Fig. 2).

The spring 28 maintains the threading member projected and both hands of the user may be utilized for positioning the thread 49 in the slot 31 and in engagement with the barb notch 34. When this is done, the thread is also engaged in the restricted lower portions 38 cf the slot 31 and held thereby frictionally.

The slide is again pushed by means of the button to retract the threading member which draws the thread 49 through the needle eye as shown in Fig. 3. The threaded needle may now be withdrawn from the device and the loop of thread disposed in the needle eye pulled through to pass one end of the thread entirely through said eye. The needle is now threaded.

While only two definite positions of the adaptor tube 42 are shown, it is evident that three or more positions for accommodating a wider range of needle sizes may be provided for.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a normal and easy threading operation has been provided for in the device described and that the hands of the user are freed so all of the hand-performed operations may be readily carried out. In Fig. 6 is shown a prior structure provided with a latch 50 so arranged as to maintain the threading member 3| in projected position against the force of the sprin 51. Heretofore, it has been necessary to hold the head 52 of the slide with one hand so that the other hand could place a thread in position to be engaged by the hook of the threading member. This, at best, was a fumbling operation made immeasurably easier by the latch 50 holding the threading member in thread-receptive position. Now when the latch is disengaged from the head 52, the spring 5| may act to retract the member and to thread the needle. The threadreceiving slot, in this form of the invention, also may be provided with a constriction as at 38a which cooperates with the hook of the threading member to hold the thread in the recess so it may be surely engaged by the member 3| when it is retracted through the needle eye. This form of thread-holding means may be also used in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

It should be understood that the invention as claimed be not unduly limited by the details of this disclosure which is intended as exemplary only and may be changed in arrangement, size,

' and proportion by skilled persons, within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A needle threading device comprising a body having a vertical, conical passage, a conical adaptor tube disposed in said passage and formed with a longitudinal slit, means for limitin the vertical position of said tube in the passage to contract or expand the lower end of said tube for the snug reception of needles of varying sizes, and a slide having a threading member adapted for movement transversely of said adapter tube, said member being movable beneath the bottom of said tube and through the eye of a needle dispose-d therein.

2. A needle threading device comprising, a, body having a vertical conical passage, a conical adaptor tube disposed in said passage and formed with a longitudinal slit, means for limiting the vertical position of said tube in the passage to contract or expand the lower end of said tube for the snug reception of needles of varying sizes, a slide having a threading member adapted for movement transversely of said adapter tube; said threading member being movable beneath the bottom of said tube and through the eye of a needle disposed therein, and means engaged withsaid slide for holding said threading member in projected relation with respect to said needle.

3 A needle threading device comprising a body having a vertical conical passage, a conical adaptor tube disposed in said passage and formed with a longitudinal slit, spaced lugs depending from the bottom end of said tube, means on said tube having cooperation with a recess in said passage for limiting the movement of said tube in said passage whereby in its upper position the bottom end of said tube is expanded and in its lower position said bottom end is contracted for the snug reception of needles of varying sizes, a slide having a threading member adapted for movement transversely of said tube, said threading member being movable between the spaced lugs and through the eye of a needle disposed therebetween.

JULIAN S. KAHN. 

